What's In A Name?
by Loren W. Cobh
Summary: CHAPTER 9 UP! A crash landing in Europe brings a new chapter in the Tracy's lives. My first, so please tell me what you think!
1. People Are Strange

Disclaimer: Unsurprisingly, I don't own Thunderbirds, the characters or their machines. It all belongs to Gerry Anderson and Carlton Enterprises, because if it did belong to me I'd be elsewhere making my millions! As it is I'm just a poor student with too much time on my hands. Oh, but the new characters such as Petra and others appearing later on are mine – honest!

Chapter 1 – People Are Strange 

_People are strange, when you're a stranger_

_Faces look ugly, when you're alone_

_Women seem wicked, when you're unwanted_

Streets surround you, when you're down When you're strange Faces come outta the rain 

_When you're strange_

_No-one remembers your name_

_When you're..._

Strange People Are Strange – Echo and the Bunnymen 

Jeff Tracy slammed his hand onto his desk, causing his audience to wince.

"What in blazes do you mean, John? He can't just've 'switched off'!"

"Dad, I'm telling you, I was just talking to him when the link cut out" Jeff's middle son was trying to figure out what had happened – and his Dad blowing a fuse wasn't helping. On seeing his other son's faces, Jeff attempted to calm down.

"Sorry son, it's just – well…"

"I know. It's not like Scott"

Jeff silently agreed. His eldest didn't usually 'hang-up' on them in the middle of a conversation.

"Did he sound like he was in trouble?" Virgil asked, concerned for his older brother.

"No, not really. Said the Fox was a little sluggish – but that could've been because he's not flown it in a while"

"Gotten too used to Thunderbird 1" Alan grinned, trying (and failing) to lighten the mood.

"Keep hailing him, John. And triangulate on his last position. If something's happened, I want to know where"

"FAB" The vid-link switched off.

"What do we do, Dad?" Gordon was on his feet, ready to take action.

"We can't go jumping off the deep end, assuming the worst"

"Yeah, could be he just fried a wire or something" Alan shrugged, exchanging a glance with Tin-Tin.

"Yes Mr. Tracy, I'm sure Scott's fine. After all, he helped design the Fox in the first place. If anything went wrong, he'd be the best person to deal with it"

  Scott's first thought as he swam up from the black of unconsciousness was 'how the hell had something gone wrong?' He'd designed the damn jet in the first place! His second was that for someone who spent most of his time in the air, he was pretty wet, and the third…

"Oww!"

"Monsieur? Monsieur, si vous puvez, ouvrez vos yeux…"

Scott groaned, and unintentionally complied as he opened his eyes. There were a lot of faces – not good. He raised his head to check he was in civilian clothing – he was, thank god - and moaned again as a fresh wave of pain assaulted his head.

"Monsieur, restez-ici, s'il-vous plait. Vous ne doivez pas…" Scott failed to catch the rest, trying to remember what had happened. Wait – hadn't he been flying over France?

"Je suis en France?" he queried, trying to dredge up his high-school French.

"Oui, c'est France" The voice belonged to a young woman – maybe only a bit younger than him – and she was kneeling next to him, looking worried. As well she might, Scott thought grimly – he'd managed to crash a jet in a foreign country some way from home, and – home!

"Monsieur, restez-ici!!" as he struggled to sit.

"Je suis…Je..aww, shoot!" The girl looked puzzled. This is gonna be fun, his throbbing head told him. He grimaced as he realised how soaking wet he was – had he crashed into the sea?

"Monsieur, vous-parlez Francais?"

"Uh…non, pas…beaucoup?" he answered, hoping that he'd managed to get the message across he couldn't speak French all that well.

"Or maybe I should switch to a different language?" the girl smiled

"Oh thank god! You speak English?"

"Just a little. I'm Petra Venkman – and you're injured. So quit struggling and sit tight 'til the paramedics get here"

"Er, okay. Hi Petra, I'm Danny – Danny Harper" The lie came easily "Where am I?"

Her grin was wide "France – Paris, to be exact. You er, crashed into the River Seine"

"I what?!?"

"The River Seine? In Paris? It's got a new feature besides running next to the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame – one American jet plane"

"Shit"

"Nicely put. Neat landing by the way."

"Thanks – I think"

She continued "Caused a bit of a storm when you dropped outta the sky. One of the tour boats stopped and the guides got you out of the water – you must've hit eject or something"

Scott didn't remember.

"Our boat was behind them – I'm a tour guide" she added by way of explanation.

"Right. Thanks for pulling me out of the river"

"Hey, no problem. I'll tell Jacques you said so. The guys who dragged you out are drying off elsewhere. So tell me, is it company policy for Tracy Enterprise employees to nose-dive into European waters, or are you colonials starting an invasion?"

He frowned – how did she…

"Your shirt" Petra indicated the navy blue polo Scott was wearing – complete with Tracy Enterprise logo.

"Er – right. I mean no, I'm not invading"

"That's good news. The French would lose"

Her accent sounded a bit like Penelope's, but nowhere near as refined.

"What…"

"We'll play twenty questions as soon as you stop bleeding"

"Huh? I – ow!" Scott gingerly felt his forehead, where a steadily rising bump was surrounding an oozing gash.

"Here" Petra wiped the blood away. It was then Scott noticed the crowd around him – and froze when he saw the cameras.

"No pictures – please"

"Camera shy, huh? Don't worry handsome, they're being good. Despite being Japanese"

"Look, I really need to call my – boss, and explain what happened. He'll be worried"

"We can do that at the hospital" Petra was scanning the crowds as sirens approached.

"We?"

"Unless you've gained a sudden command of French Danny, you're gonna need a translator"

"Oh yeah"

    Virgil watched his father pace for a while, stop and look up at the portraits as if willing them to signal, then resume pacing.

"Dad, I can – " he was interrupted by John's picture eyes flashing.

"Base from Thunderbird 5"

"Go ahead John"

"Good news Dad, I got a fix on Scott's last position – somewhere over Paris, France"

"Great!"

"And even better, guess what's just made French headlines? An American jet reportedly crashed into Seine River, pilot's been taken to hospital but no serious injuries"

"Thank god" Jeff breathed.

"Rumour has it he flies for Tracy Enterprises"

"And you said it was a bad idea to wear those T-shirts" Virgil grinned, relieved.

"I stand corrected. Okay John, keep an ear out for anymore news. Virgil, prep the Ladybird – I want you to fly out and pick Scott up. I'm going to put a call through to TE ops in Europe – get them to deal with the Fox"

"FAB Dad," Virgil headed for the hangers as Jeff reached for the vid-link to dial up Tracy Enterprises. However, he got no further as the main phone line beeped.

"Hello?" Gordon had got there first "Dude! hey how are you? Yeah, you made the headlines, bro! Cool huh?" he mouthed to the others 'It's Scott' unnecessarily "You wanna speak to Dad? Oh okay. Yep, Virg is on his way. Which hospital? Okay great. Just don't go crashing any more planes"

The indignant reply was muffled, but Scott was clearly unamused.

"Yeah, yeah. Okay then, be seeing you. Bye!"


	2. Somewhere Down The Crazy River

Disclaimer: Strangely enough, the situation hasn't changed – and I still don't own Thunderbirds. If for some reason Carlton and Gerry Anderson decide to turn the rights over to me, you will be the first to know! But I still own any original characters appearing!

Special thanks to the people who reviewed – thank you! It was really appreciated!

Chapter Two – Somewhere Down The Crazy River 

_Catch the blue plane_

_Places never been before_

_Look for me_

_Somewhere down the crazy river…_

Somewhere Down The Crazy River by Robbie Robertson 

Scott sat fidgeting with the sheet of the hospital bed he was sitting on. The gauze patch across his head wound itched, but it was a small price to pay for a clean bill of health. The doctors had done a thorough check and had found nothing wrong, so now it was just a waiting game 'til he was given the all clear. He'd called home – they'd already known he was okay courtesy of the French media. Usually the press were his worst nightmare, but this time they'd come in handy. And now Virgil was on his way in the jet – he'd be here within the hour.

"Knock knock" Petra appeared round the curtain "How's the head?"

"Good, thanks"

"Manage to persuade the doctors there's something up there then?"

"Huh" he pretended to be offended. Petra wasn't fooled.

"Someone coming for you?"

"Yeah, I'm being picked up in a while. How about you – don't you need to get back to your tour group?"

She waved a dismissive hand as she sat down "Sent them on a shopping spree in the Champs-Elysee. Unless you wanna get rid of me?"

"Heck no! My French is pretty rusty – I'd have been real stuck"

"Gee, imagine that. An American who doesn't speak any language other than his own. What a surprise"

"Lady, my talents are in flying, not linguistics"

"I thought flying involved keeping the plane in the air?" Petra grinned

"Oh very funny. So I had an off day – sue me. Are you telling me you never get them?"

"Didn't you get the memo? Danny I'm female – we're always perfect"

Scott laughed "I won't answer that"

"See? Who says Yanks can't learn" her eyes sparkled "So what exactly is a Tracy Enterprise pilot doing in Europe?"

"Testing one of our jets. 'Fraid I can't say much more"

"A man of mystery, huh?"

"You have no idea" he chuckled.

The curtain shifted, and a doctor approached.

"Monsieur Harper?"

"Oui"

"Donc, les resultants des examens sont…"

"…the test results are…" Petra translated. The doctor stopped

"Ah, you are the American gentleman, non? I will speak in English for you – le test results are all clear as you were told, and you are now free to go. I advise you rest for at least a few days – no more flying for a little while, yes?"

"Okay" Scott grinned.

"And your company 'as picked up the medical bill – you need to sign zese forms, and then you can leave"

"Thanks, Doctor. Appreciated"

The doctor left Scott to sign. 

"So who's picking you up?"

Scott made a mental note to remind his father he'd signed the forms under an assumed name "A co-workers flying in"

"Which airport?"

"Huh?

"Paris has more than one"

"Uh…"

***********************************************************************

"I'm at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle" Virgil chuckled "Man, I can't believe you managed to crash the Fox. Didn't you say that thing was…"

"…virtually uncrashable, I know" Scott sighed "How much teasing am I in for?"

"Oh, it's gonna reach a whole new level. Gordon's been finding all the plane jokes he can on the Net" Virgil grinned "Nice bandage by the way"

"Shut up" 

Virgil had arrived by cab at the hospital minutes ago, and having said his goodbye's and thankyou's to the staff and to Petra, Scott had met his brother in reception and the two headed back out into the Parisien sunshine.

"So what happened?"

"Well, I got taken here by the paramedics – and this real nice tour guide stayed with me to translate. She was…"

"I meant the crash" his brother raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, uh – I dunno. Everything was fine, I was talking to John, then something just…"

"Blew?"

"I don't know. No sparks, no weird burning smells, the controls just went dead. By the time I'd got some control over the jet, there wasn't enough time to pull it back out of the dive"

Virgil shuddered "Thank god you landed in the river"

"I know. Can you imagine the damage if I'd crashed in the streets of Paris? Shit, Tracy Enterprises would be under fire from…"

"…and you would've been toast"

"Don't go there"

"Grandma already did. She's been going on about it to Dad – I think you just replaced Alan as favourite grandson"

Scott laughed as they stopped to hail a taxi, succeeding almost immediately.

"Charles de Gaulle airport, s'il vous-plait" the driver was told as the two men seated themselves in the backseat.

"How long did it take you to get here?"

"From the airport? About twenty minutes."

"And they didn't give you any trouble about landing there unannounced?"

Virgil shrugged "Just called ahead and explained. They were very accommodating when I told them it was TE business"

"What about the Fox?"

"Boss has it sorted, don't worry"

"He mad about it?"

"Nope – just relieved you were okay. We all were"

Scott caught the tinge of concern in his brothers tone.

"I'm fine, honest"

"I know. So, what's all this about a tour guide then?"

*********************************************************************

Scott's arrival back on Tracy Island was loud. The moment he set foot into the lounge his family descended on him – his father's eyes inspecting the damage to his first-born, reassuring himself he really was alright. Grandma pushed herself to the front to smother her eldest grandson with hugs and kisses until in desperation Scott pulled himself free and promised he'd eat everything she served him to prove his health hadn't suffered.

Kyrano offered him a drink and the couch as a greeting. Scott gratefully sat – his grandmother still fussing over the bandage on his head 'I really should check that Scott, you can't trust those European doctors you know'. Tin-Tin welcomed him back with a kiss on the cheek – she was very fond of all the brothers, some more than others Scott noted as she chose to sit next to Alan. Alan, like the rest of his brothers, was strangely quiet until the fuss had died down. This made Scott nervous – a quiet Alan didn't bode well. He wasn't disappointed.

"Good to have you back in one piece, bro'" Gordon grinned "Though I can't say the same for the Fox"

_Here we go, _Scott thought

"Hey, we should celebrate!"

Virgil, who'd been quietly discussing events with his father, broke off to listen to his youngest brothers. They were obviously setting each other's lines up.

"Great idea Alan, what do we need?"

Tin-Tin stifled a giggle. Alan nudged her as he answered "Well, Grandma and Kyrano prepared a load of food…"

"…and we've got the company right here…" the red-head indicated the gathered family just as Brains emerged to watch the proceedings.

"I know what we need!"

"Music!" the two chimed together. Scott threw a suspicious look at them. Gordon quickly found the remote for the music centre – a little too quickly, his father observed, and hit a button. The all-too familiar strains of 'Rocket Man' flooded the room. Scott groaned.

"Guys, please!"

"Not good huh? Okay, how about…"

The song changed "…_so take these broken wings, and learn to fly again_…"

"Oh come on!"

"Nope? Try again Gordon" Alan was barely managing to contain his laughter at his brother's face.

"…'_cause I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again_…" Alan and Gordon sang – badly. Virgil chuckled, knowing what was coming next – he'd had a hand in the joke, helping his brothers in finding the appropriate songs by giving directions from the jet.

"How about another classic? Something a little more bouncy this time?"

The Weather Girls 'It's Raining Men' was too much. Alan lost it, cracking up on the sofa.

"No more, no more!" Scott was half-lying on the opposite sofa, eyes closed in despair.

"Yeah" Alan was struggling to speak through the gales of laughter "Better stop there Gordon, or we might drive him in-Seine, geddit? Insane, in-Seine…?"

By this time Virgil was having to lean on the desk to stay upright, and Tin-Tin was almost on the floor from giggling. Scott threw a cushion, which Alan managed to avoid. Even Jeff was grinning.

"Scott, lighten up man. You brought it on yourself"

Gordon changed the music again. 'Smoke On The Water' started a fresh wave of laughter. "Oh cry me a river. You love us really – hey!"

This comment earned him a cushion smack in the face.

"You have really bad taste in music" Scott informed them.

  The rest of the afternoon continued in this fashion. Scott couldn't enter a room without Alan or Gordon bursting into song, or making a joke of some kind involving planes or rivers.

"Hey Alan, d'ya hear the one about the jet?"

"No Gordon – do tell"

"I didn't either. Scott crashed it before I heard the punch-line"

Virgil was the only one who sympathised with his brother – he was getting tired of hearing 'Take Me To The River' every few minutes. Jeff was no help – he promised to have a word with his two youngest, but still chuckled every time one of them sang an appropriate song. Scott even caught his grandmother humming 'Somewhere Down The Crazy River' when he sought refuge in the kitchen.

"Give it up!" he begged.

"Aw, but it's so much fun!"

"Besides, we're saving the best 'til last"

'Their best' turned out to be a rendition of 'Captain Crash And The Beauty Queen From Mars' at dinner. Once their grandmother had admonished them for singing at the table and Jeff had stopped chuckling, they were asked about the significance of the song. Virgil went pale and asked to be excused, but couldn't get away quick enough as Gordon explained that Scott's new call-sign should be 'Captain Crash' and the 'Beauty Queen From Mars' was to do with a very good-looking tour guide. This resulted in Virgil having to leave the table at a speed worthy of Thunderbird One, his infuriated elder brother hard on his heels. Alan and Gordon exchanged a high-five as grandma gave up completely on a quiet meal. As Jeff said, wiping tears from his eyes, sometimes you just had to 'go with the flow', causing them all to fall about laughing again, Scott's enraged yells still audible in the distance.

So whaddya think? Review and let me know!

Thanks for the people giving advice on making it more readable – mucho appreciado!

The song versions I used were:

'Rocket Man' by Elton John, 'Broken Wings' by Mr. Mister, 'Leaving On A Jet Plane' by Chantal Kreviazuk, 'Its Raining Men' by the Weather Girls, 'Smoke On The Water' by Deep Purple, 'Take Me To The River' by Andrew Strong, 'Somewhere Down The Crazy River' by Robbie Robertson, and 'Captain Crash And The Beauty Queen From Mars' by Bon Jovi. Enjoy! 

And yes, it should be 'blue train' and not 'blue plane' – but plane seemed more appropriate!!!


	3. London Calling

Disclaimer: Yep, still not mine – I checked! But as always, anyone new appearing belongs to me.

Thanks to those who reviewed the last chappie – (zeilfanaat, Fran Lavery, Claudette) keep telling me what you think, people! And extra special thanks to yveybevy who's posted two FANTASTIC reviews – thankyou!!!

Chapter Three – London Calling London calling…engines stop running… 'London Calling' by The Clash 

"Aw, c'mon Dad! I'm fine, honest – I'm gonna go crazy if I stay cooped up here any longer"

"And he's gonna drive us all mad too. Dad?"

Jeff sighed and looked over to two of his sons. It had been almost a week since Scott's little jaunt into foreign waters – six days of rest, recuperation and relaxation for his eldest to allow his head to heal and his system to recover. But there was one 'r' that Jeff hadn't encouraged – 'rescues'. There had been two since the Seine incident, both of which Scott had been forced to watch from the sidelines. And he hadn't done it quietly.

"The doctor said you had to cool it for a while – no flying, remember?"

"Yeah, but I'm better. Six days is a while, Dad. And besides, I'm not asking to fly, I'm just asking to tag along"

Jeff snorted. Never, in his entire existence, had Scott Tracy merely 'tagged along'.

"It's not like it's a mission, Dad. And all's quiet here" Virgil was at the piano, but he hadn't played a note in several minutes, having been drawn into the 'discussion'.

Lady Penelope had called the day before with distressing news. The love of her life had fallen apart on one of their many trips across the English countryside, and she was devastated. Could Jeff possibly spare Brains for a few hours to repair her prized possession? After all, FAB 1 wasn't just a car – she was practically a member of the family. Jeff had promised to send Brains out with reinforcements in order to fix the beloved Rolls.

"Please?" Scott wheedled, something that didn't happen all that often. His father caved

"Alright, yes! You can go – but as a co-pilot only. I want Virgil and Brains to do most of the work, and you can lend a hand with FAB 1 if you promise me you won't overdo it"

"When have I ever not been good?" Scott sat up, and on seeing his father's expression quickly added "Never mind"

Virgil grinned as he got up from the piano stool "We'd better think about going then. I'll drag Brains outta the lab and prep the jet. Scott, you grab the tool kits"

"Who put you in charge?" his brother answered good-naturedly, rising from the couch.

"Boys, be careful what you say. Penny said she had guests"

"What sort of guests?" Knowing Penelope, they could range from members of the aristocracy to sightseeing tourists.

"Bunch of kids. Something about hosting a Sports Day"

"Okay"

"Just take it easy" Jeff warned.

"Sure thing, Dad"

********************************************************************

Scott was good as his word. Virgil flew the jet to England without a murmur from his brother, despite Scott itching to take over. They made good time – landing on the airstrip of Creighton-Ward grounds just after midday. Brains directed operations as the brothers lifted all the tools from the jet – he liked to be prepared for any engineering difficulty, especially since FAB 1 was of huge importance to Penelope, in both her roles as stately home-owner and secret agent. They were met by Parker, Lady Penelope's loyal butler and long-time friend.

"I'm afraid 'er Ladyship h'is entertaining, but she will see you h'all when she 'as a moment"

"No p-problem, P-Parker"

"We'll get cracking on the Rolls, if that's okay" Virgil was rolling up his sleeves.

"H'of course, Mr Tracy"

They were taken to the vast garages on the other side of the mansion. In the distance they could hear shouts of laughter and a whistle being blown.

"So what's Lady Penelope doing?"

"A local youth club h'is being renovated, Mr Tracy. 'Er Ladyship h'offered the use of 'er lawns for the kiddies to use while the work's bein' done"

Scott shook his head. Trust Penny to lend a hand. For all her airs and graces she was a big believer in 'giving back to the community'.

"After all," she'd say "one never knows when one may require the community to help one in an hour of need"

   The lady in question graced them briefly with her presence almost thirty minutes later. She greeted them all graciously, and gave elegant thanks for their prompt assistance before excusing herself once more to 'observe the finer points of English football'.

"Soccer" Parker translated for the three Americans when he brought drinks over.

      Brains discovered the source of the problem with the Rolls Royce – but no sooner had he fixed that then the car refused to start. Sending Scott under the vehicle to check for anything unusual, and Virgil under the hood he continued to tinker, muttering odd phrases as he worked.

    They were at it for a good hour when the clatter of small sneaker-encased feet announced a visitor. Virgil looked down to see a boy of around eight or nine watching him with interest.

"Hey there buddy, are you supposed to be here?"

The boy avoided the question, and offered a grin "Hi I'm Mike. What'cha doin'?"

"We're fixing this car"

"Cool! Can I watch?"

"No, you cannot" Lady Penelope's languid tones signalled her approach. "Really dear boy, what are you doing in here? You should be with the others outside – does Miss Anderton know that you're here?"

"Er – well no, Lady Penny. I just…went for a walk?" he added hopefully

"He's not b-bothering us" Brains assured from the drivers seat.

"I'm sure he isn't Brains, but he knows he shouldn't be here. Now come along young man, or Miss Anderton will be most un-amused"

"Too late, she's already 'un-amused'. Where'd you skip off to, you rat?"

Virgil snapped round to check out who the voice belonged to. A woman around his age, dressed in blue soccer shorts and a matching shirt stood with folded arms looking at her runaway.

"Mike, I warned you guys not to disappear on me. Come on, your team's one short"

"But Rachel's cheating"

"Once, and I caught her. Nice try buster, let's go. Sorry" she apologized, her light-brown ponytail swinging.

"I'll remove him h'if you want, Miss" Parker had appeared.

"You sure?"

"Yes do, and then I can introduce you to my other guests. Thank you Parker, if you would be so kind" Lady Penelope smiled as her butler guided his charge back to the playing field, giving a lecture on what football had been like 'in my day'.

"Bye!"

"See ya, Mike" Virgil waved.

"Virgil, I'd like you to meet Alyssa-Joelle Anderton, a good friend of mine. Alyssa-Joelle, this is Virgil Tracy – you remember I've mentioned his father before?"

"I do" She and Virgil shook hands, her green eyes sparkling. "And for the love of all that's holy, call me AJ. Alyssa-Joelle's a real mouthful, and no-one uses that – with the exception of Lady P here"

"It is your given name, and an excellent one at that" Penelope murmured.

"My parents had a sick sense of humour. And sitting in the front seat is…?"

"B-Brains" the engineer stammered, leaning over to take her hand. "P-Pleased to m-meet you, AJ"

"And the feet you see under the Rolls belong to Scott – Virgil's brother"

"Sorry" came the muffled reply "I'll be out in a second"

"Take your time" AJ grinned "Good to see men working"

"We're not just pretty faces – well, 'cept Scott, maybe"

"Hey!"

"Aw, quit complaining. He's lucky to be here at all"

"Oh?" Lady Penelope raised a delicate eyebrow.

"Had an accident last week – didn't Dad tell you?"

"He did mention something vaguely – not a serious one, I trust?"

"Nah, bruised ego more than anything"

"Virgil!"

"What, it's true!"

"Quit telling people that"

"And who had to fly out to France to come and get you, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah" came the grumble.

"Really Scott" Penelope shook her head "One would think you'd never flown before in you life"

"It was an accident! It's not like I planned to crash into the Seine!"

Lady Penelope and AJ exchanged surprised glances.

"You're kidding? The Seine?" AJ sounded incredulous.

"I know" Virgil laughed "Shoulda heard Alan and Gordon – they're still singing 'Captain Crash'. Not to mention the tour-guide Scott hooked up with"

At this, AJ laughed. Penelope attempted not to smile.

"For the last time…" exasperated, Scott rolled out from under the car "…we did not 'hook up'! She…" he stopped when he saw Penelope. Or rather, the girl standing with her. AJ grinned and waved.

"Bonjour, Monsieur"

Review guys, and let me hear reactions!


	4. Just A Girl

Disclaimer: Nope, they're not mine – and unless something drastic happens to change that they'll still be Gerry Anderson's and Carlton's. Person can dream though, right? (But AJ is the product of my imagination, and mine alone!)

Cheers for the reviewing people – mucho appreciated as always! 

Chapter Four – Just A Girl 

_…I'm exposed, and it's no big surprise…_

_…'cause I'm just a girl, take a good look at me…_

'Just a Girl' by No Doubt 

"Bonjour, Monsieur"

"Holy sh- Petra?! What are you doing here?!"

"I was going to ask you the same – Danny"

Virgil and Brains looked puzzled as Scott got to his feet, looking embarrassed. Lady Penelope was smiling broadly "What an astounding coincidence" she smothered a giggle.

"I'm missing something, aren't I?"

AJ grinned "I'm the tour-guide your brother 'hooked-up' with"

Virgil's jaw dropped as Brains guffawed. "Oh my god! Gee, I'm so sorry!"

"Don't worry" AJ was still laughing "So – Scott – how's your head?"

"Better thanks – AJ, right?"

She nodded. Lady Penelope's eyebrows remained high.

"Well this is most strange. To think you two have already met, and under such odd circumstances. Alyssa-Joelle…" AJ grimaced "…was this the incident you were referring to this morning?"

"I –er, yeah…"

"Oh, now I remember you saying that some – what was term you used? Ah yes – 'stud' had dropped out of the sky and required medical attention and linguistic help until a co-worker came for him"

"I did not say that!" AJ's cheeks were pink. Virgil snorted with amusement – his brother shot him a look before turning back to AJ.

"So you aren't just an employee of Tracy Enterprises – you're a member of the family!"

Scott looked sheepish "Yeah, uh, sorry about the false name an' all. We don't much like using our name in public. Best we travel incognito"

"Ditto" AJ smiled "My work sometimes requires an alias too. No apologies needed"

Penelope had quietly edged away to join her other mechanics.

"Did she really call him a stud?"

"A lady never reveals her friend's secrets" but the sparkle in her eyes was all Virgil needed.

"How d'you know AJ then?"

"She and I have been friends for some years now. Alyssa-Joelle helps out with some of the local groups – hence she is here today. I enlisted her help when I knew I would be entertaining younger visitors than I am used to"

"Oh right"

"And how is FAB 1 faring?"

"I-I was about t-to t-test her, Lady P-Penelope" Brains informed them. "C-Close the h-hood, Virgil"

Virgil did as he was bid and stepped back. Brains hit the ignition, and a few seconds later Lady Penelope gave a cry of delight as FAB 1's engine revved into life.

"Oh well done, dear boy! Thank you!"

"Pleasure, Lady Penelope" Virgil wiped his grease-spattered hands on jeans that seen better days. Penelope heaved a sigh at this infraction, but was too elated over the restored vehicle to admonish him.

"What was the problem Brains? Do tell," but she regretted asking as the scientist launched into a detailed speech on the intricacies of Rolls Royce engines.

"Never mind" she added hastily "If you could explain it to Parker so he knows what to look out for in the future I would be eternally grateful"

"Of c-course" Brains nodded.

"Well, that was quicker than I thought"

"Are you boys needed back at home?"

"Uh – I'm not sure, I guess…"

"Oh, but won't you at least join us for tea? We'd be delighted" Lady Penelope stole a glance at AJ and Scott, who were still talking earnestly.

"Yeah, why not?" Virgil grinned, catching her drift "Dad'll call if he needs us"

"It's almost two o'clock now, and tea won't be until half-past four at earliest"

"Damn! That's the time already?" AJ checked her watch "I'd better get back to the kids – Parker'll be tearing his hair out by now"

"Are we all done then?" Scott asked his brother

"I would l-like to m-make a f-few m-more checks, if I m-may" Brains directed at Penelope "But it d-doesn't r-require any h-help"

"Need a hand with your group?" Vigil queried. AJ looked a little taken aback

"Uh – if you guys wanna join in feel free. But none of your sappy American rules – this is real football"

"I'm sure we colonials'll manage" Scott winked.

      Twenty minutes later Lady Penelope wondered if her American friends had bargained on the kids interpretation of 'rules' as Scott was felled by a kid half his size.

"Hey – foul!"

"Didn't see it, sorry!" AJ yelled as she sailed past, intercepting the ball for her team and setting one of the girls up for yet another goal. Virgil groaned as it shot past him into the net.

"Virgil! Aren't you s'posed to be stopping them?!" his brother moaned

"I'm doing my best – you try it! I hate being in goal" Virgil muttered.

"Alright guys, we'll call it a day there"

There were assorted cries of 'unfair' along with whoops from the winning side.

"Thank god for that" Virgil was leaning on a post, puffing.

"Okay, okay, enough" AJ called the kids to order "How's about we try something else?"

'Something else' was a rowdy game of volleyball on Lady Penelope's courts – but it descended into chaos and a nose bleed as the children used any tactics to score.

"Jack! The ball is supposed to go over the net, not under it – look what you did to Ian!"

"Sorry" Jack clearly wasn't. The game was abandoned so First Aid could be performed, and refreshments magically appeared for the rest courtesy of Parker. AJ gave the group a 15-minute break, but after ten they were up and racing again, energy levels fully restored.

"Where the hell are they getting it from?" Virgil was flat out on the grass. AJ laughed "Tsk tsk. No stamina whatsoever"

"I'll have you know my stamina levels are very high, Miss Anderton"

"Sure they are" she got to her feet. "Okay guys, new plan. Who's up for rounders?"

"Rounders?" Virgil queried over the cheers as equipment was supplied. Scott told him the basics – he'd seen it during his time at Oxford.

"Bit like baseball" 

"Oh"

It wasn't long before AJ had them into teams for batting and fielding, and the game was underway. It wasn't entirely fair since they were playing with thick plastic tennis bats instead of the proper slim ones, and no-one was ever 'out', just sent back to the end of the line since it was boring to have to sit out and watch. Consequently they played to time – 15 minutes batting and fielding either way before switching. The Tracy's team were elated as they pulled into the lead, before AJ got a couple of spectacular shots in bringing the scores level.

  Penelope watched with amusement as the adults resorted to cheating to get ahead – from AJ hiding the ball to allow a red-headed girl to gain a rounder, to Virgil physically carrying Michael round the makeshift posts to score.

   At half-past three Parker announced that parents were beginning to arrive so they called it a draw, and AJ herded her charges to the main driveway to be collected. Lady Penelope took Scott and Virgil into the drawing room to sit down and put their feet up.

"Man, I'm beat"

"Fun though. Jeez, there's some serious energy!"

"You mean the kids?"

"I mean AJ. How's she keep up with them?"

"With difficulty" AJ informed them, entering the room and dropping onto the couch. "I'm shattered"

"Not surprised" Virgil exhaled "That was mad"

"So you work with them a lot?"

"Not as much as I'd like – work keeps me away"

"Oh let's not talk business" Penelope interrupted "I want to know Scott's side of the story regarding this Parisian incident"

"…then she says 'doesn't flying mean you stay in the air?'…"

"…and he acts all offended…"

"…then the doctors cleared me, Virgil arrived and we parted company. That's about it really"

It was some twenty minutes later, and Scott had re-told the entire event with AJ correcting in places.

"That's certainly one way to make new friends"

"It's different, I'll give you that" AJ laughed.

"Well on that note I think a change of scenery is in order. Tea should be almost ready"

As if on cue, Parker came into the room and with a subtle 'ahem' announced that tea was indeed served.

"Uncanny, isn't it?" AJ whispered

"I know. Every time without fail"

"He's not human"

Scott snorted "After today, nothing would surprise me"

  High tea was a pleasant affair at Creighton-Ward Manor – enough delicacies to satisfy even Scott's appetite, and general talk allowing them all to get to know one another better – Scott and AJ in particular. Virgil noted his brother's animated conversation with his 'tour-guide' and grinned. Brains meanwhile, discussed the working of FAB 1 with Parker, who had joined them at Lady Penelope's request.

  After protesting they couldn't possibly eat anymore, the plates were expertly cleared, and the Tracy's reluctantly suggested they had better make tracks.

"Are you positive you can't stay any longer?"

"It's been great Lady Penelope, but we really should be heading back. Dad'll be wanting us home – 'specially since he told Scott not to overdo it"

"T-Thank you for a w-wonderful afternoon, Lady P-Penelope"

"The least I could do after you so marvellously repaired the Rolls. She means a great deal to me, as you no doubt know"

"Yeah. Be like losing a Th-Tracy Enterprise plane"

"It would be a great loss to the world, I'm sure"

"Got that right" Virgil chuckled.

Scott and AJ were also saying their goodbyes.

"Good to see you again – and no injuries this time, I'm impressed"

"Why thank you ma'am. Does this mean I can pay back that favour, now I know I can track you down?"

AJ waved a hand "It's fine, really. I'm always on the lookout for gentlemen in distress"

"Well, can I live up to my gentleman reputation and take you out to dinner sometime? As a thank you?"

AJ considered this for a moment, then smiled "Okay, you're on. When and where?"

"How about I call you and make arrangements?"

"Sure, so long as you're not gonna forget"

Scott mock-staggered "Me? I'm hurt, lady"

"Yeah, yeah"

Virgil approached them "Sorry, but we'd really better get going. Nice to meet Scott's rescuer, AJ"

"Hah, there was very little rescuing on my part – but thanks anyway. We'll call it even since you were beaten by a bunch of kids"

"Gee, I'm touched"

"But nice meeting you – and Brains"

"The s-same, AJ"

"Okay, so I'll talk to you soon?" Scott ignored the look his younger brother was giving him.

"Sure. That'd be good" 

"Bye, Lady Penelope. Thanks again"

"It was no trouble. Give my regards to Jeff"

"Will do"

"And keep practising those footie skills" AJ called

"It's soccer, and we don't need practice"

"Football mate – and you so do! Bye guys"

"Be seeing you"

They headed back out to the jet, tired, filthy but cheerful.

"So?"

"What?"

"I believe V-Virgil was referring t-to your c-conversation with AJ?"

"We swapped cell numbers, and I'm taking her out for dinner. As a thank you" Scott added, seeing the exchanged glances.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself, bro'. Hey, what's it worth me not telling the others?"

Scott paled "You wouldn't"

"I would. In full Technicolour…"

"Virgil…"

"Imagine the mileage we can get out of this one – and you thought the plane gags were bad!"

"Oh brother" Scott muttered as they reached the jet. Was there no end?

Okay people, you know what to do! Read, review, and tell me what you think please!


	5. Spaceman

Disclaimer: AJ's mine, but that's about it. The rest belong to Gerry Anderson and Carlton, and the songs I borrow (thankyou kindly to those who own them)

And yes, I know my taste in music is bad! (blame my parents!)

Again, thanks to my reviewers – makes me feel warm and fuzzy! (and inspires me to keep writing!)

This chapter's song is for Alex, a) 'cause he's gonna be a star, and b) 'cause this is the first song he ever owned on CD - I remember! Congrats again, and keep on shining!

Chapter Five – Spaceman

_Spaceman,_

_I always wanted you to go,_

_Into space, man…_

'Spaceman' by Babylon Zoo

Space. To some, the universe was just a cold, massive expanse that was both intimidating and eerie. Others, however, relished the experience of being up with the stars – thousands of constellations highlighting the beauty of this relatively unknown realm.

John Tracy was a 'relisher'. Spending every other month up in what was affectionately known as 'the tin-can' gave him ample opportunity to study the cosmos. His hot-headed and energetic little brother who was here the other six months of the year watched programmes from around the world (the advantage of living in a telecommunications satellite) and made use of the games consoles Brains had installed over a year ago for entertainment (virtual reality racing was a favourite).

John caught a fair amount of network broadcasts too, but the gentler of the brothers usually abandoned the screens and chose the surrounding galaxies as his entertainment. Fascinated by the myriad of stars, planets and other space debris he'd become a part of, John dedicated his month to gazing beyond Thunderbird 5 and wondering what, if anything, was out there.

"Hey John! You with us still?"

Returning from his musings Jeff's middle son focused on the here and now – and the hand that was waving in front of his face.

"Alan! Cut that out!"

"You were ignoring me"

"So? You should be used to it by now"

Alan's response was to pout at his brother.

"And stop making faces – oh wait! You always look like that!"

"Yeah, and we share the same genes bro', so quit laughing"

"Touche" John grinned. A burst of static over the comm. signified a new voice

"When you two have finished goofing around, can we think about leaving? I'm not getting any younger here"

"No kidding" Alan's evil reply caused Scott to sigh, immediately regretting his choice of words.

"I'm on my way Scott, just give me a second"

"See you in a bit then" Scott signed off. John had a last look around before picking up his bag and hitting his brother's shoulder lightly "I'd better head off – you got everything you need?"

"Yes" Alan answered heavily "I have done this before, y'know"

"I'm your brother, I'm allowed to check"

"Whatever" Alan brightened "Hey, do me a favour will ya?"

"Sure, what?"

"Hassle Scott about his love-life"

John frowned "What did I miss?"

"He's got a date"

"You're kidding? Mr. Workaholic?"

"Nope. Remember Petra and the French fiasco?"

"Yeah?"

"Turns out her real name is AJ, and she's a friend of Lady Penelope's. She and Scott bumped into one another when he was over there fixing FAB 1 and he asked her out!"  
"Whoa. He told you this?"

"Don't be dense. Virgil slipped up and said something to Grandma."

John winced "Ouch. And she told Dad? What did he say, the whole it'll-jeopardize-our-secret-organisation trip?"

"Weirdly enough, no. Said Scott deserved some time off"

"Jeez, what happened? I'm away for a few weeks and everyone gets a personality transplant!"

"You have some catching up to do"

"No kidding"

They were interrupted by the comm. again.

"John, are you coming or do I have to physically drag onto Thunderbird Three?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Thanks for the heads up, Al. See you in a month!"

"See ya – and don't forget to wind him up!"

"Sure thing"

One short trip through the access tunnel, and John was greeted by the sight of his eldest brother at the controls of Thunderbird Three.

"Hi John, how goes it?"

"Good, thanks. Phew" Bag thrown to one side, John seated himself next to Scott.

"Thunderbird 5 from Thunderbird 3, docking and transfer complete. We're good to go"

"Thunderbird 3 from Thunderbird 5, boarding tube has been retracted, you are free to leave"

"Take it easy Al"

"FAB. See you in four weeks, guys. Au revoir!"

Scott ignored this, and turned to his brother "You want this Johnny?"

"Please"

Scott sat back and allowed John to ease the rocket away from the space station and turn smoothly, setting a return course for Earth. John caught a glimpse of star lines as Thunderbird Three picked up speed, and smiled. Yep, up here was truly spectacular – but right now the only place he wanted to be was on a small island in the Pacific.

"Base from Thunderbird 3"

"Go ahead son"

"Alan's all up and settled, and we're heading home now"

"FAB, John. See you boys in a while"

Having set Thunderbird Three onto auto, John stretched and yawned.

"Tired?"

"Ah, nothing that one of Grandma's desserts and a good night won't sort. And I'm sure as hell not too tired to hear all about this upcoming date of yours"

Scott groaned "I'm gonna kill that kid, I swear. You heard about those damn songs he and Gordon sang for days?"

John chuckled "Alan did mention they were gonna put them on a disc labelled 'French Adventure' and give it to you"

"Not unless they wanna eat it" came the growl.

"Heh. So, give me the lowdown – I feel outta the loop here"

"What do you know already?"

"Only something about you and Petra meeting up at Lady Penelope's – except she's really called AJ and she's not a French tour-guide. What's with that?"

"I didn't wanna push for info – I mean, I gave her a false name and had to concoct some lame-ass story as to why, so grilling her is hardly fair! But she works as a translator, travels a lot and sometimes the stuff she translates is sensitive, so she uses a different name"

"Not usual though. What languages does she speak?"

Scott looked blank "Uh – I dunno, I never asked"

"Typical" his brother shook his head. John had a passion for languages and spoke several, which was a great help in his communications role. He was the only brother who'd shown an aptitude for speaking something other than English, and he welcomed any chance to practise his skills. "You are useless. So, fill me in – what's she like? I want full name, age, description…"

"Alyssa-Joelle Anderton, but AJ for short. She 25…"

"Between me and Virg then – carry on"

"Er…"

John sighed "Hair colour?"

"Brown – but lighter than mine. It's kinda long – way past her shoulders"

"Eyes?"

"Green"

"Emerald, olive…?"

"Sea-green"

"Build?"

"Uh – she's average height, maybe a bit taller than Tin-Tin…"

"'Bout 5'8 then"

"And she's slim…not like model skinny, but…toned, I guess you'd say"

John gave him an amused look.

"What?!? She was in a soccer kit at Lady Penelope's!"

"Nice legs?"

Scott grinned.

"Go bro'! She sounds pretty cute"

"She is. Smart too – got a real way with words. Funny as hell"

"Don't tell me – she has an accent"

"Yeah – how'd you know?"

"Because you're a sucker for them! So you asked her out then?"

Scott's features gained a tinge of pink "As thanks – for helping me out in Paris"

"Nice line, what were you planning?"

"Well…" his elder brother squirmed a little "…I was kinda hoping maybe you could help me out on that one"

The blonde next to him chuckled "How did I guess?"

To an outsider, it might've appeared that John had less of a role in the family than his other brothers. Scott was obviously the leader – and had been fiercely protective of his siblings ever since they were small. He was most like their father, and could go overboard with rules and regulations at times ('Dad-clone' Gordon would tease him with) but his ability to keep a cool head in almost any situation made him the obvious choice for the others to go to when they were in hot water of any kind.

Virgil was similar to some extent – he was still 'big brother' to three of the boys, but less authoritative. He and Scott were close, but Virgil was the one the others went to when they were worn down and depressed and needed a few words of reassurance or just a sounding board for their worries.

Alan was the baby of the family – no matter how much he denied it – and even though he was as capable as any of the others, he still had a special eye kept on him. Hot-tempered as he was, it was rare the others came to him for advice, but he was the most outspoken in the family and could be relied on to say what everyone else was thinking – bluntly.

Gordon was 14 months older than Alan and consequently the two were pretty close. Gordon brought levity to the family, and though he frequently drove them mad with jokes and schemes (aided and abetted by his younger brother) the humour would've been sorely missed by the others, and the atmosphere on the island a lot more tense.

Which left John – 'the spaceman' as he was known. Calm and soft-spoken, serious but still up for a laugh, he was the balance between the brothers that kept the five as close as they were. And he was the source of all knowledge when it came to culture, relationships and – women. When advice was needed on what to do, how to approach and even what to wear, they all turned to John.

Scott shrugged, as if resigning himself "You're the man, John"

"You asking' for my help?"

"I'm begging. Help me, Obi-John Kenobi"

"Okay, okay. Anything in particular?"

"Everything" Scott groaned "I'm useless at this"

John silently agreed. Dependable, solid and responsible his brother might be – but when it came to romance he tended to flounder.

"Alright – so it's dinner, yeah? Where do you want to take her?"

"Er…"

John rolled his eyes "Where does she live?"

"On the outskirts of London"

"Okay, I suggest you choose a restaurant in the city then"

Scott frowned "But she'll have been to all those. We could go anywhere in the world!"

"It's unlikely she's eaten in all the good places – London's a big place. And it'll look really good if you make the effort and fly all the way to her – not meet up halfway somewhere"

"Hadn't thought of that"

"What sort of food d'you want to eat?"

"I was thinking maybe Italian"

"Not bad – but it could get messy. All those pasta sauces – recipe for looking less-than-clean at the end"

"Good point. What do you reckon then?"

"I'd avoid Thai, Mexican etc – too spicy. Sushi bar maybe – but you're not keen on Japanese are you?"

Scott shook his head.

"Personally, I'm leaning towards Chinese. Huge range of food so there'll be something you both like, no lingering after-tastes and since you get a lot of dishes to serve yourselves from there'll be plenty of opportunity for you guys to brush hands across the table"

"Wow. You've really thought about this!"

"What can I say, I am the Master"

"Okay master – so what do I wear?"

"How formal do you wanna be?"

Scott shrugged

"Well, odds are she'll be pretty well-dressed – women are good at that sort of thing, but a suit's too over-the-top"

"I was thinking maybe just dark pants and a shirt?"

"Still a little too dressy. How about that dark long-sleeved polo of yours?"

"Okay"

"Oh – and a jacket of some kind so you can offer it if she gets cold"

"Nice touch!"

"Works every time. Anything else while I'm here? You said it was just dinner, but – "

"I wanna make a good impression"

"Fair enough. Just be your usual charming self then – don't give me that look! Remember back in high school you had that entire volleyball team eating out of the palm of your hand?"

Scott grinned "Good times"

"Not to mention the two guys who were on the squad as well"

The grin faded "Don't remind me"

"Well, if you were that way inclined…"

"Very funny"

"Seriously Scott, you're a nice enough guy. Just be yourself"

"Can I get that in writing?"

John laughed "Nah. And I'll deny I ever said it"

"Figures. But thanks – it's appreciated, bro'"

"Hey, no problem. S'what I'm here for. And besides, you're outta practice"

"It's been a while"

"All the more reason for you to get back _into_ practice"

"Don't get too excited John – it's just one date"

Next chapter – dinner! And for those of you wanting the date this chapter, sorry, but this piece with John just came outta nowhere, and demanded to be written. Especially since he's not had a lot to say so far! Hope you liked.


	6. Under The Bridge

Disclaimer: Must come up with a more original way of saying 'AJ and supporting cast mine, Thunderbirds not'. But hey, so long as it keeps me out of trouble with the lawyers…

Wow! Fantastic reaction to Chapter 5 – thanks to all those who took the trouble to write some truly fabulous reviews! Thankyou!

Chapter Six – Under The Bridge 

_…and she kisses me windy,_

_I never worry,_

_Now that is a lie_

_I don't ever wanna feel,_

_Like I did that day_

_Take me to the place I love,_

_Take me all the way…_

'Under The Bridge' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers 

"It's just one date" Scott mentally repeated as he paid the cabbie and looked up at the building in front. He'd laughed when AJ had first told him where she lived, but John later confirmed it – 'Elephant and Castle' was a real place. AJ had given him detailed directions to her apartment block, but he hadn't needed them – London cab drivers being some of the best in the world.

    Scott scanned the electronic pad by the speaker - _no visual though, how old is this area? - _ until he found the name he was after.

"Hi AJ"

"Scott! Hang on, I'll buzz you in – come on up!"

    Despite it's depressing appearance, the interior of the building was surprisingly pleasant, even the elevators worked.

    Seconds later he was outside AJ's door. Taking a deep breath – _can't believe I'm nervous – _he rang the door chime. The door slid back, revealing his date.

"Wow. You look really nice"

AJ was in a black skirt that was short one side but draped to mid-calf on the other, the cut and light material making it sway as she moved. The black was off-set by a red, figure-hugging jersey, sleeves pushed halfway up to her elbows. Her hair was pulled up elegantly, and she had a hint of make-up on for a sophisticated but natural look. The ensemble was completed by a pair of knee-high black suede boots – 'nice' was an understatement.

"Aw thanks – so do you. Are those for me?" she indicated the dozen yellow roses Scott carried.

"A thankyou from my family"

"Really? Come in" she beckoned as he handed her the flowers.

"Okay, they're from me. I was trying to come up with an excuse to give them to you"

AJ laughed "I'll pretend if you want! Thanks – they're gorgeous"

_And they ain't the only thing, _she mused, taking an appreciative look at the dark-haired man now standing in her apartment.

"Feel free to look around, make yourself comfy. I'm gonna find someplace to put these" AJ disappeared, taking another sneaky glance as she left. That navy polo fitted well – _he must work out – _and the jacket over it only added to the look – _what is it with me and guys who wear leather?_

     Scott checked out his surroundings – he was in a fair-sized living room furnished with a bright sofa – _red's definitely a favourite colour – _ along with a flat screen TV and stereo, plus coffee table and various storage devices for music and movies. The pale blue walls were bare save for a pair of mounted speakers and a simple mirror. In one corner sat a desk, with laptop and scattered papers – _brings her work home, _Scott noted.

"Are you up to meeting my flatmate?" AJ called

"Sure" though he wasn't, visions of a 6'6 boyfriend playing across his mind.

"Bruce is heading your way"

Scott laughed in part surprise and part relief as Bruce appeared in the doorway. The large Siamese feline made itself comfortable on the couch and gazed at Scott in an interested manner.

"Is Bruce friendly?"

"Very – you're not allergic to cats are you?"

"Nope"

"Phew. Sorry, I forgot to ask"

"Hey, no problem"

AJ emerged, the roses in a clear vase. "Where do you reckon…" she stopped and laughed. "Made friends, huh?"

Scott was sitting on the sofa scratching Bruce under the chin, which judging by the deep purr was appreciated.

"He's big – what do you feed him?!"

"Not as much as you'd think – he's mostly fluff"

Scott realised this as his fingers practically disappeared into the cream fur.

"He's not a proper Siamese, just a cross"

"That explains his size"

Having placed the flowers on the low table, AJ straightened and shook her head.

"Softie"

"Me or Bruce?"

"I was going with Bruce – but I may change my mind. You have pets too?"

"Not unless you count my brother's pygmy alligator"

"You're kidding?!"

"If only. Damn thing gets more meals than I do"

"Aww. Speaking of meals – do I finally get to find out where we're going? You were really mysterious when you called"

"Chinese"

He got a look "You might wanna narrow that down a bit for me"

Scott grinned as he rose from his seat, giving Bruce one last pat "What's the best way to get to South Audley Street, Mayfair?"

"Wow – you mean Chyou-Jin? That's the best in London!"

Scott sent a silent 'thankyou' to his brother – John was officially hired as date-guru.

"So that's okay then?"

"It's perfect – I feel really spoilt!"

"I made reservations for 8:30 – and since you know London a lot better than I do, how do you recommend we get there?"

"The Tube?"

"London Underground?" Scott frowned "Is that safe?"

"Yes, it's safe! I use it everyday – trust me"

"Okay then, you're the boss."

"With that attitude, you're gonna go far" AJ grinned as they headed out the door.

     Despite Scott's misgivings, their journey via the Underground was fine. He'd used subways before in New York, but the London version was the granddaddy of them all, and still going strong.

"It's been revamped a couple of times" he was told as they changed at Piccadilly Circus from the Bakerloo line to one that would take them to Hype Park Corner. "But essentially it's the same as it was in the early 1900's" 15 minutes later they were walking up South Audley Street towards their destination, The Chyou-Jin restaurant.

   Scott briefly admired the deep yellows and oranges the front was painted in before they stepped inside.

"Ni-hao, good evening" a smartly-dressed pair of waiters met them

"Xie-xie, ni-hao" AJ replied.

"Whoa" Scott murmured "You speak Chinese?"

"Mandarin – xie-xie is 'thankyou'. Say 'ni-hao', it means good evening"

"Ni-hao" Scott managed, pronunciation not bad. The staff were delighted, taking their names and showing them to a table opposite the window looking out onto the street.

   Greeted and seated, the menus were perused for a few moments before AJ shook her head. "Okay, I'm stuck. How do you choose – it all sounds good!"

"Glad I'm not the only one. I vote we get some of everything"

"Will your credit card cope?"

"Sure – and don't go worrying about it. My treat, remember?"

AJ grinned.

  Their server for the evening approached, introduced himself and took their order for food and drinks. Menus out the way, Scott turned his focus back to AJ.

"Chinese, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm not fluent, but…"

"Hey, from a guy who only speaks English – and badly, Chinese on any level is pretty impressive"

"It kinda helps when you're a translator" she laughed.

"What other languages do you know?"

"Oh – er, a few" Taken aback by his genuine interest, AJ had to think "Well, I speak English – obviously – French, Spanish and German fluently, plus Italian, Dutch and Russian, and I know a little Chinese and Portuguese"

"Wow – that's impressive."

AJ put up her hands "Oh hey, but that's it. I mean, I was useless at everything else in school – science gave me a headache, history was boring and I can't count to save my life. So I concentrated on language, since it was the only thing I was any good at"

"Except sports"

Both grinned at the memory of their impromptu games session the week before.

"So how'd you become a translator?"

"It's not that an exciting story – went to University, studied a bunch of languages and got hired by the company I'm with now – been with them almost four years"

They were interrupted by the arrival of drinks, and Scott learnt to say 'thanks' in Chinese, making him a firm favourite with the staff.

"This is neat – I should pay more attention to John when he uses a different language"

"John?"

"My brother"

"You have more than one?"

Scott chuckled "Yeah – I'm the eldest of five"

"Bloody hell! Five?! Okay, tell me all – names, ages, the lot"

Taking a mouthful of his drink, Scott sighed "Oh man, where do I start? You met Virgil already – he's the next eldest at 27. Then there's John, Gordon, and Alan – John's 24, Gordon's 22 and Alan's 21"

"You're all pretty close in age then. Do you all look alike? I know Virgil's dark, like you…"

Scott snorted "Ah, no. I mean yes, Virgil's dark – but the rest are all different. John and Alan are blonde – but John's white blonde, Alan's more golden – and Gordon's a red-head"

"Whoa, that is a mix!"

"Tell me about it – what?" Scott queried as AJ frowned

"Alan Tracy – as in the racing driver?"

Scott nodded "That's the one. I didn't think you'd know that!"

"My dad's a fanatic, I remember the name being mentioned once or twice but I never made the connection. What else are you Tracy's hiding?"

"Oh, you'd be amazed"

   At that point their waiter appeared with the first of the dishes. It took another two trips for him to deliver the rest of the meal – everything from sizzling platters to bowls of rice and noodles. Conversation petered out for a while as both began to eat, with only the odd comment about the food.

"Is that – "

"Pineapple with the chicken? Yep" AJ helped herself to some, using her chopsticks expertly.

Scott steered clear of the fruit and piled egg fried rice into his bowl instead.

"Not keen on spiky fruits then?"

" 'Fraid not" he grinned

"You like mussels?" AJ indicated the dish on her left.

"Why?"

"Can't stand them"

"Great! I'll have the mussels if you eat the pineapple – deal?"

"Deal" AJ laughed.

  The rest of their meal went well – really well, Scott thought as he finished the last of the steamed vegetables and eyed what was left. They'd talked about family – hers living a couple of hours away, to all of his living on the one island, and discussed English universities. AJ was stunned to discover that Scott had been at Oxford for a while, as well as Yale. She had studied at Cambridge, and they happily compared the two. When they weren't talking the silence was a comfortable one with no awkwardness, and John had been right – in the attempts to retrieve food their hands collided, prompting apologies, laughter and lingering eye contact.

   When neither of them could manage anymore, the waiters cleared the table astonishingly quickly. AJ was marvelling at the balancing act being performed as Scott mentioned they could give Kyrano a run for his money. This led to further conversation on Scott's extended family over coffee, Scott explaining the situation between Tin-Tin and Alan, and tales of the various pranks his second-youngest brother had pulled over the years.

"…so there's Dad standing there with the miniature outfits, totally convinced they've been shrunk in he wash, and not realising he's been set up by Gordon and old G.I. Joe clothes"

AJ wiped her eyes "That's priceless. And Gordon does this a lot?"

"Started when he was six and never stopped. The jokes are still as juvenile as they were"

"There must be days when you get under one another's feet though – all on the one island all the time?"

Scott nodded "Oh yeah. When we first moved it was hell – we'd all got used to living separately and there were times we could've cheerfully strangled one another, but we settled pretty quick. Plus Dad made sure everyone had their own space – so escape is possible. But it's good to get off the island and do something different"

"And hopefully the company has been okay?"

"The company's been great" which made AJ smile.

"Good"

Scott finished the remainder of his coffee and sighed "Guess we'd better think about moving"

"I don't know about you, but I really need to walk off some of that meal. You game? I know somewhere with a fantastic view"

"Sure, sounds good"

Scott handed his credit card to their waiter and while the bill was being settled had AJ teach him how to say 'goodnight' and 'goodbye' in Mandarin. The staff bid them 'wan-on' and 'zai-jian' and they headed out into the chilly London night.

"So where are we going?"

"Wait and see. We have to take another Tube ride, but it's worth it"

A change to the Jubilee line and several stops later got them to their destination – the bank of the River Thames, under the famous Tower Bridge.

   The Thames by day wasn't particularly prepossessing – usually dull grey-green in colour, partly from the reflection of typical London sky, and partly from the filthy debris. At night however, it was transformed by the lights of the various attractions that lined the banks of the river, illuminating the waters as it flowed steadily on.

   Scott whistled softly as he took in the view of the silent waterway.

"Worth it then?"

"Definitely"

"Thought you'd like it" AJ leaned on the guard rail, a cool wind blowing strands of her hair that had come loose. "Just keep any urges to dive in under control – these boots weren't made for swimming"

"No fear. I've had enough unexpected trips into strange waters to last me a lifetime"

They laughed together, then fell into a companionable silence.

The breeze blew stronger, sending a rush of cold air off the water and making AJ shiver.

"Here" Scott stripped off his jacket and offered her the extra layer. AJ deliberated for a moment before giving in and shrugging into the warm leather, appreciating the pleasant smell of Scott's aftershave that came with it.

"Thanks"

"Hey, no problem" his hands lingered on her shoulders for a few seconds before he withdrew them. _John, I owe you big time, buddy._

"I gotta confess," AJ broke the silence "It's been a while since I did this"

"Watch the river at night, or spend an evening with someone?"

"The latter, fool!"

"Same here. I love the island and my family, but it's been good to get away – and for something other than business"

AJ turned slightly so her green eyes met his blue ones. "You do a lot of overseas work?"

_You have no idea, _he thought, but answered with "Not too much, no. Why'd you ask?"

"Just wondering if I could drag you away, maybe repeat this sometime?"

Scott grinned, and shifted closer "Is that an offer for a second date?"

"Maybe. Depends"

"On what?"

"On this"

AJ leaned up to touch Scott's lips gently with her own. She held the contact for a moment before pulling back.

Caught by surprise, it took Scott a moment to find words.

"And the decision was based on that?"

AJ nodded

Sliding his arms around her waist he pulled her in for a longer and deeper kiss.

"Wow"

Scott grinned "I really want that second date"


	7. Is There Something I Should Know?

Disclaimer: I do not own Thunderbirds in any way shape or form – I'm merely borrowing them from Gerry Anderson and Carlton Enterprises, and will return them (relatively) unharmed when I'm done!

**Chapter Seven – Is There Something I Should Know?**

I know you're watching me every minute of the day, yeah 

_  
I've seen the signs and the looks and the pictures _

_  
They give your game away, yeah…_

Is There Something I Should Know? by Duran Duran 

Gordon sauntered through the house, having dried and dressed from his dip in the pool. One of the perks of being on a tropical island were the warm evenings – despite it only being early June he'd finished his swim well past 7pm. He ran a hand through his still-damp hair and entered the lounge, ready to offer a cheery 'hello' to its occupants – but didn't when he caught sight of his brothers.

   John was lying across the couch with a battered copy of '_Lord Of The Rings_' in his hands – the trilogy was a firm favourite with all and had been thumbed through many times. Virgil was on the floor, humming distractedly as he shuffled through the scattered papers surrounding him, marking on them in odd places with a pencil. Gordon recognised it as sheet music – his brother's musical muse had obviously prodded him into starting a new piece. It looked a peaceful enough scene, but the tension was obvious in their expressions.

"Okay" Gordon said slowly "What happened?"

Virgil didn't look up "Whatever you do, don't bug Dad. He'd not in a good mood"

"Why?" the copper-head settled himself in a chair, having first glanced at his fathers desk which Jeff had vacated moments before.

"Alan called"

Gordon frowned "So?"

Realising Virgil wasn't going to elaborate, John sighed and put down Tolkien's work.

"What's today's date?"

"The 6th"

"And what will it be in two weeks time?"

Gordon did the math, and solved the problem. "Tin-Tin's birthday. Alan asked to come back early, didn't he?"

John snorted "If he'd 'asked' maybe the result would've been different. But in his usual style it sounded like an order instead of a request, and when Dad said 'no' he moaned"

"Like hell" Virgil added.

"And Dad went nuclear?"

Nods of assent from his siblings.

"If he'd waited instead of whinging I'd have offered to go up to the station earlier and it wouldn't have been a problem. But between his bleating and Dad getting riled I couldn't get a word in edgeways"

Virgil stopped adding notes to answer scornfully "Yeah, and how many times do you bail him out? He can't keep doing this – it's not fair on you"

John shrugged "I don't mind – it's not that big a deal. He just handled it wrong"

"No kidding. And mentioning Scott was a bad move"

"Don't tell me – Alan brought up Scott's date"

"Yep" Virgil was now chewing the end of the pencil "And predictably, Dad went mad. Said it wasn't fair to compare – Scott never takes time off but Alan's always looking for an excuse to shirk his stints in T5. Told him to lay off and if he asked again Dad would have him on satellite duty for an extra fortnight"

"Ouch. So where's Dad now?"

"The range"

"Oh boy"

Jeff only resorted to shooting things when he was really angry.

John nodded "I'd say we're at Defcon 3"

"More like Defcon 2" Virgil muttered "So like I said, don't go upsetting Dad"

"No fear" Gordon shuddered theatrically, then checked the time. "Speaking of Scott, shouldn't he be back by now?"

"Remember there's a time difference between us and England"

"That's my point – they're six hours ahead. That makes it almost 2am over there. What could they be doing?"

He got incredulous looks from both directions.

"I didn't mean that!" Gordon added hastily.

John chuckled "Should hope so. It's a first date"

"You didn't see him talking to her at Penny's. For all we know…" Virgil let his words hang.

"Scott? Nah, he wouldn't"

"Hey, you never know. It's been a while – and she's cute"

Gordon shook his head "Uh-uh. I reckon the furthest he'll get is smooching"

John looked sceptical "You think he'll kiss her? He was pretty nervy when I spoke to him"

"I still say he won't be back 'til _much_ later" Virgil laughed.

Gordon grinned "Wanna bet?"

   Scott glanced at his watch as he left the island hanger – not quite 8:30pm. He'd left London at around 1am English time, having made sure AJ had got back home okay.

He smiled, thinking about the evening – but the grin faded as he headed into the main villa – no way would his family not give him an inquisition over what had happened. Unsurprisingly, his brothers were gathered in the lounge with Tin-Tin.

"Hi all"

"Hey bro!" Came Gordon's enthusiastic reply, obliterating Virgil's muttered 'damn!' from his area of the floor. Scott braced himself as Tin-Tin and John looked up from their respective literature, and Virgil from his sea of music.

"So – how'd it go?"

"Pretty good"

"Pretty good?' Virgil echoed.

"Oh alright – it was fantastic" the grin was wide.

"Good. Did you follow my advice?"

"Worked like a charm – you're hired, John. Thanks, it really helped"

"No problem"

"And?" Gordon prompted, having shifted to face his eldest brother, chin resting on the back of the chair.

"And what?"

"What did you guys do?"

"Talked, ate, walked…"

"Any action?"

Tin-Tin threw Gordon a stern look as Virgil groaned "Subtle Gord – real subtle"

Scott rolled his eyes "Don't you have anything better to do than imagine what goes on in my love-life?"

"Aha – so you have one then! That means first base – at least!"

"Gordon!"

"Sorry bro', but I gotta know. Please?"

Scott sighed, resigning himself to the inevitable. "We kissed – that's all. Are you happy now?"

"Very" Gordon held out hands in John and Gordon's directions. "You heard the man – now pay up!"

It was then that Scott noticed all three of his siblings had wallets at their sides.

"You were betting on me!?!"

"Yeah – last time I ever gamble. Thanks pal" Virgil grumbled, counting out bills.

"What do you mean, _gambling_?"

At the sound of their father's voice, all three froze.

"Er…"

"I'll ask again" Jeff's tone was dangerous from the doorway..

"Dad, it's not…"

"What's going on?" Grandma had appeared.

"They were betting! Betting on Scott's date! This really takes the cake – first Alan, now you three…"

"Jeff!"

His tirade was interrupted

"Leave it"

"Mother…"

"I said, leave it. I will deal with the boys, just go and cool down"

Seeing he was beaten, Jeff left – frustrated at not being able to vent his displeasure.

"Now first of all – Scott, did you have a good time?"

"I did thanks, Grandma"

"I'm glad" Satisfied, she turned to her other three grandchildren, aware that Jeff that was still in earshot.

"What are you boys playing at? Gambling on your own brother – I ask you, is that how you were raised? Utterly disgraceful"

"Grandma!" Virgil was outraged. John and Gordon were wearing similar expressions.

"Uh – I think I'll leave you guys to it and…go someplace else" Scott saw his chance for escape and took it, making for the hall.

   Craning her head to make certain her son had indeed left, Josie called after Scott.

"Oh I forgot to ask! Did you have a goodnight kiss?"

"Grandma! What is it with you people – yes, we did!"

"And I expect you instigated that, didn't you?"

Gordon threw a horrified look at his brothers.

"If you really wanna know – she did. AJ kissed me, so there you go. Jeez!" Throwing his hands up in despair, Scott disappeared before anymore embarrassing questions could be asked.

Josephine Tracy cast her eyes over the three chastised men in front of her.

"Well I hope you learned you lesson. Gambling is wrong" A look of glee crossed her features and she held out her hand expectantly to Gordon, who muttered something about psychic grandmothers and handed over his winnings, Tin-Tin laughing hard at the looks of defeat on all three brothers faces.

"And that you should never underestimate your Grandma – betting on Scott indeed!" She winked as she tucked the money in her skirt pocket "I knew his girl would make the first move"

Several hours later in another part of the world, AJ woke up to a dismal London in drizzling rain – and late.

   Her date with Scott hadn't ended until almost 1am – he'd insisted on escorting her home, (still not trusting the Tube) completing her view about him being the perfect gentlemen. And, like a perfect gentlemen, he never mentioned going with her up to the apartment (though he did steal a few more kisses before they parted for the night).

   She couldn't dwell too much on the night before as she had a hasty shower, threw on clean jeans and a shirt, fed Bruce and headed out the door.

_Good thing it only takes 20 minutes and two jumps via the Tube to get to work, _as she arrived at Vauxhall Cross station. A few minutes of light jogging got her to the required building, one keycard and retinal scan later and she was in – with three minutes to spare.

   AJ landed in her seat, checked the clock and with a sigh of relief leant her head against the desk. _These early mornings are gonna kill me_

   A large foam cup of coffee magically appeared to her left. AJ lifted her eyes to see familiar blond spikes and a cheery grin.

"Mornin' AJ – coffee?"

"Eric, you are an angel" AJ sniffed the cup appreciatively "Any way you can inject this directly into my veins?"

Eric laughed, hopped over to AJ's right and perched on the edge of the desk. Eric was one of her few close friends – in their occupation buddies outside of work weren't much of an option. Eric Reese was the youngest member of their little group – but his formidable language skills more than made up for it.

"So – how did last night go?"

"Great – really great"

"Really?" Eric swung his legs merrily "You get a kiss?"

"Several"

"Nice one! 'Bout time you met a nice guy – apart from me, that is"

He got a light punch on the shoulder.

"You go girl" they were joined by a petite Japanese woman. "Scott – right?"

"Hi Sakura – yes, his name's Scott."

Sakura Murphy eyed AJ's paler-than-usual features, rummaged in a vast shoulder bag and produced several cereal bars and an apple.

"Did you have breakfast this morning?"

"That obvious, huh?  
"Eat"

 AJ dutifully followed instructions. Eric grinned and snaffled a strawberry flavoured snack from the pile.

"What?" in answer to Sakura's glare "I'm hungry too!"

"Pig" Sakura shook her head, but let it ride. At 36 and happily married to an accountant with three children she took it upon herself to look out for the well-being of her close knit circle. "Anyone know what today's agenda holds?"

Eric shrugged "The usual. I'm on surveillance with Hari this morning – so it's the van of doom and Mars Bars for us. Boss left a pile of business papers for you Sakura – s'on your desk"

"Japanese?"

"What else? And as for our loved-up girl here…" he got an amused look "…it's back to hacking that Russian system again."

"Damn. Didn't they read my last report – those emails had nothing in them but porno and references to the Moscow State Circus! Nothing remotely worth us investigating"

"Mmm…Russian porn" Eric closed his eyes to enhance the imaginings.

"Perv"

"Hey, one of us has to be. Speaking of – anyone seen Hari yet? We've got T-minus eleven minutes before we gotta be on the road – and I still need to stock up on food"

AJ wordlessly pushed the rest of the cereal bars in his direction, taking a bite out of the apple.

"Aw – thanks mate" she received a kiss on the cheek for her trouble as Eric bounced away.

"That boy's energy"

"I know. Don't envy Hari much – trapped in a van for the day with hyper Eric? No thanks" AJ grimaced

"And this before the Mars Bars"

"Don't go there"

"So tell me about this new hunk of yours"

"Sakura!"

"Come on – you're dying to spill, admit it"

AJ caved, and told her about the previous night. Sakura was impressed.

"I had the idea all American billionaires would be either sleazy or complete weirdo's"

"Scott's not a billionaire – his father is"

"And that makes a real difference" came the sarcastic reply "Apples never fall far from the tree. But all the same, I'm glad he's a nice guy. No offence AJ, but you've dated some real scum in the past"

"Seconded" came a voice from behind.

"Hari!"

Startled, both women turned sharply to greet the remaining member of their crowd, Hari Kishore. At 6'5 the well-built Indian man with his strikingly handsome features looked like he'd just walked off a movie set – until his opened his mouth, and the strong Liverpudlian accent ruined all allusions.

"You know Eric's looking for you, right?"

Hari nodded "Yeah, I do. But I wanted to say 'mornin' and give you a heads up, AJ. Boss is looking for ya"

"That sounds ominous"

"Doesn't it just – I'd better head off and see why I'm wanted. Cheers, Hari"

"Eh, no problem"

For all her cheerfulness, AJ was secretly concerned. The department heads very rarely pulled in any of the lowly language experts – it was 'real' agents in the field that had that dubious privilege. Straightening her shirt, and wishing fervently she'd worn something other than jeans to work AJ rapped smartly on the office door, determined not to show she was worried.

"Enter"

AJ did so, her eyes flicking round the plush office before resting on the man sitting behind the desk.

"Ah, Anderton. I wanted a word"

AJ suppressed a grimace. Their boss, a balding squat man in his early fifties referred to all by their surnames, something that rankled the staff immensely. Marcus Low was at least fair – he treated _all_ his subordinates like he'd found them on the soles of his shoes.

"Some concern was raised over your recent behaviour"

"Sir?"

"Last night"

AJ mentally cursed. She knew what this was about. If she'd followed standard procedure and ensured that her date had met all requirements this wouldn't be happening, and they wouldn't have been watched, but not being high in the organisation 'food-chain' she hadn't bothered, assuming it wouldn't be noticed. Fat chance.

"You were lucky. This new…'friend' of yours checks out, otherwise we'd be having an entirely different conversation. As it is, this is going no further than this office, and I expect it to stay that way"

The 'thankyou' AJ uttered was a strained one.

"Forgive me being blunt sir, but I didn't think there'd be a problem. I'm not officially working in the field and – "

"And therein lies the problem. No, officially, you're not. But you still act as an agent and your services extend beyond translation in this building – or did I imagine your trip to France?"

"No sir"

"My point exactly. You may not be out there working for us all the time, but we still require you to travel elsewhere with sensitive material – and being that you do so under the occasional assumed name makes you an agent in the eyes of the organisation. Which in turn means that any…liaisons you may wish to pursue must be done with our approval"

"And do I have that approval, sir?" the sarcasm was evident, but Marcus chose to ignore it.

"You were lucky this time. Scott Tracy has not been perceived as a threat in any way, shape or form, and therefore you are free to continue your relationship with him. But be warned, this must not happen again. Ensure that you take the proper checks in future – do I make myself clear?"

Resisting the urge to add 'crystal', AJ answered with a simple 'yes, sir'.

   Sakura caught the brunt of AJ's displeasure as the annoyed women stalked past her desk.

"What happened?"

AJ explained. Colourfully.

"What bloody right do they have to go spying on me? How sodding ironic is that? British Intelligence, my ar-"

"AJ" Sakura broke in "Calm down, love. It's standard procedure – you know that"

AJ exhaled loudly "I know. But it still sucks"

"One date with an American and you're already starting to sound like one"

"So long as I can keep Scott out of this. Last thing I want is for him to be dragged into the whole 'secret identity' trip"

"Who says working for MI6 is dull?" Sakura quipped

"Yeah. Remind again why I do this job?"

"The money?"

"I knew there was something else besides the frequent flyer miles I'm racking up"


	8. Little Lies

Disclaimer: I don't own them – but I sure wish I did!

Thanks for the reviews as always people – and sorry for the delay with this chapter! I'll be more prompt with the next one!

Chapter Eight – Little Lies 

_Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies_

_Tell me lies, tell me tell me lies_

_Oh no no, you can't disguise,_

_You can't disguise, no you can't disguise…_

Little Lies by Fleetwood Mac 

"It s-still d-doesn't look r-right"

Brains frowned at the screen in front of him. His test subject's face changed from confident to worried.

"Well, the formula seems sound, Brains. Are you sure the numbers are right?"

Tin-Tin was checking the readouts.

"I w-was until I g-got the answer"

The petite Malaysian gave him a questioning look.

"According t-to my c-calculations, Gordon s-swims at the speed of l-light"

Tin-Tin giggled "Really? Maybe we should rename him 'Greased Lightning'"

Gordon's grin was huge "This Tracy's automatic, he's systematic, he's hydromatic…"

Brains sighed over Tin-Tin's smothered laughter as Gordon strutted round the lab. in true Travolta style.

"Sadly Gordon, t-that isn't the c-case. T-There must b-be a flaw in the m-math somewhere. It will n-need adjustment if we're ever to t-transfer the p-principles to a m-mechanical d-device"

"I'm taking that as a compliment" Gordon grinned "You guys need me to be guinea pig some more?"

"No Gordon, I h-have all the d-data I n-need. It is j-just the m-math that d-doesn't add up"

"Okay, I'm gonna skip out and leave you egg-heads to it. Enjoy!" He left the lab, whistling cheerily.

Tin-Tin watched him go, her own thoughts crowding in.

"Tin-Tin?"

"Hmm? Oh sorry Brains, I was…"

"T-Thinking, I know"

"Just wishing all problems could be solved as easily as mathematical ones"

Eyes still fixed on the screen, Brains paused in the editing of his work.

"Alan?"

"Alan, Mr. Tracy, my birthday…"

"Alan m-means well"

"I know, and I would like him here for my birthday too, but I don't want to upset Mr. Tracy either. And if I try and explain it to Alan he takes it the wrong way and thinks I want him to stay in Thunderbird 5. Then he gets angry, and he won't speak to me" she shrugged dejectedly "It's such a mess"

Brains didn't say anything. As brilliant he was at construction and repair of machines, fixing relationships was beyond him. But having spent a lot of time in the lab. listening to Tin-Tin had given him some insight as to what was going on. In fact, though he didn't know it, Brains had more idea than the rest of the family put together.

   There was a knock on the door, and a blonde head appeared.

"Sorry, don't want to interrupt but we got a call. Dad wants your input, Brains"

"N-no p-problem, John" Brains saved his latest efforts and adjusted his glasses before getting up "W-What's the emergency?"

"Tornado's hit Oklahoma. Caused a lot of damage"

"Oh no. Any casualties?" Tin-Tin moved towards the door, concerned.

"We're not sure yet. But there's one definite fatality – Scott's date"

     Scott caught Tin-Tin's sympathetic glance as she and Brains joined them in the lounge. Jeff finished talking to Alan in the satellite then turned to his two eldest.

"Scott, get going. You can be there in under half an hour. Find a safe place to set up Mobile Control and assess what we need. Virgil can be with you within an hour"

His tone changed to a slightly softened one "And I'm sorry you have to cancel your plans son"

"Can't be helped, Dad. I'll call when I'm airborne"

Pleased at Scott's composure in the face of disappointment, Jeff watched his son take up position in front of the usual portrait, taking hold of the handles either side of him.

"He sure took that well" Gordon muttered as the picture began to revolve, taking Scott with it.

"I've always been proud of how you boys handle situations and make sacrifices without complaint"

Jeff's impromptu praise on the virtues he'd instilled in his sons wasn't quite long enough to cover the muffled cursing from the other side of the painting.

"Nobody's perfect" he defended his eldest as the others snickered.

"Guess he didn't take it _that_ well"

"Alright boys, back to business. Brains, Tin-Tin, this is what we have so far. Less than an hour ago an F4 tornado hit Sallisaw in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma. Since the initial broadcast from the authorities we've had numerous distress calls concerning people trapped in the ruins of their houses, collapsed buildings, and folks buried in their own bunkers under debris"

"Oklahoma? That place is like tornado central – weren't these people prepared?"

"T-True, Gordon, Oklahoma is r-renowned for the f-frequency of d-destructive weather that a-affects it, b-but if I r-remember correctly, Sallisaw itself has n-not suffered a great d-deal from such m-meteological conditions"

They were interrupted briefly by the roar of Thunderbird 1 taking off from its hidden hanger beneath the pool. Seconds later Scott called in to say he was airborne and give an ETA for Sallisaw, promising to check in regularly as always.

    "The city hasn't been seriously hit for well over 60 years" John called from the monitor he was now seated in front of. "The last F4 in Sallisaw was in the 1960's – killed 16 and injured 106. Other than an F3 in 1999, the only twister activity have been F0's and F1's"

"So they really weren't ready for it"

"What's the game plan?" Virgil leaned on his father's desk tapping the wood gently – keen to get going.

    Jeff was about to answer when an incoming call claimed his attention.

"Thunderbird 5 calling Base"

"Go ahead Alan"

"I just received an update from Sallisaw – thought you'd wanna know"

"What are they saying?"

Alan ran the recording. It was the Chief Firefighter who spoke, giving descriptions of the devastation and explaining why they desperately needed help. With only twenty firefighters total – both regular and volunteer – they were severely short-staffed.

"Tell them we're on our way" Jeff nodded. "Virgil, you heard the man – get cracking. Take John and Gordon, you'll need all the help you can get. Brains, what equipment do they need?"

The engineer didn't hesitate "The Mole, the F-Firefly…"

"Basically anything we can jam into one pod" Virgil had crossed the room and was preparing to exit to Thunderbird 2.

Brains nodded and headed back to lab. to arrange the appropriate pod. Virgil disappeared down the chute, John and Gordon not far behind in the passenger lift.

"Off they go again, Mr. Tracy" Kyrano had been observing proceedings silently from the shadows.

"Off they go" his friend echoed.

Scott eyed his watch, calculating how long he'd have before Thunderbird 2 would be in

the air and contacting him. Enough time to call AJ, he gauged, and retrieved his mobile

from the pile of civilian clothes he'd switched for his uniform. He had a rough idea of what to say, but he'd have to tread real careful in order to pull this off and not be up a certain creek with no paddle.

"So much for my love life"

AJ was thinking much the same as she stood in a darkened room, hands over her ears trying to make herself heard.

"I said – what caused it?"

"Security breach!" Sakura yelled as she tried to find familiar faces in the eerie red light.

"This had better not be another drill!" came the frustrated reply. "And can't someone turn those frickin' alarms off already!?!"

"No drill," Eric joined them, almost tripping over a chair in the process "Ooh! Something happened with the mainframe. They thought it was just a power spike or something, but it looks like someone tried to hack into system, got past the perimeter and triggered this" he explained, rubbing his shin.

"But why the panic?"

"I heard the phrase 'inside job' being mentioned"

"Shit" the expletive was uttered just as the klaxons were silenced, causing heads to turn in AJ's direction.

"Twenty quid says it's the CIA trying to nose into our system again"

"Bloody Yanks" Sakura added eloquently, seating herself at the nearest station and squinting at the screen through the emergency lighting. "Everything's been pulled offline. Hope everyone saved whatever they were working on"

Eric's face showed he hadn't.

"Guess it's up to Tech to figure out who it is and block them"

"And in the meantime?"

"You know the procedure – if the system has a breach the whole building goes into shutdown and nothing gets in or out until they solve it"

"Marvellous" AJ spat sourly "Why don't these people hack our systems early on in the day?"

"You got a date?"  
"I did have, yeah. But there's no way I'm gonna get out of here on time. Damn!"

"Dare I suggest you call and re-arrange something then?"

AJ sighed "Got no choice. Here's hoping Scott buys my story, and doesn't think I'm calling it off completely"

"You could tell him the truth" Eric shrugged, and winced as AJ threw him a look.

"As in, 'Sorry, I can't make tonight – something came up with the top-secret organisation I work for. Can we re-schedule?' Yeah right, because _that_ sounds plausible"

As if on cue, her phone rang.

Having checked he'd set the correct course and confirmed his ETA with base, Virgil settled to the usual routine of studying the many instruments and gauges that kept Thunderbird 2 in the air and on track. Behind him sat two of his younger brothers – one quiet, contemplating the surroundings and mentally prepping himself for the task ahead, and the other…

"Gordon!"

"What?!"

"You know what. Quit it" Virgil muttered through gritted teeth. The methodical snaps of Gordon cracking his knuckles drove Virgil to distraction, which was one of the reasons Gordon did it.

The silence lasted mere seconds before –

****_crack_

"_Gordon!_"

"I had to! I'd done the others – it was the last one, I swear!"

John rearranged his expression from amused to serious as Virgil turned to eye his irritating passenger.

"Don't do it again! And stop laughing, John"

The chorus of 'sorry's' sounded almost sincere. Gordon cast around for a new topic of conversation to deflect interest away from his annoying habits.

"Isn't it about time you checked in with Scott?"

"Who's flying this thing, me or you?"

"Just a thought"

Virgil sighed "I'm giving him a chance to call AJ"

"How long's it take to cancel a date?!" came the incredulous reply.

"Once again Gordon shows his complete lack of knowledge about women"

"And illustrates why he hasn't had a date in months" John added.

"Hey!"

"Scott can't just 'cancel' it – he needs to come up with a good reason and get AJ to buy it"

"And he needs to sound suitably bad about it"

"No problem there" Gordon chuckled "He was pretty annoyed, whatever Dad says"

"Hell, I would be too if I were in his shoes"

John grinned "Ditto, from what I've heard. She sounds fun"

"She is" Virgil was smug, pleased he had one up on the others as the only other person to have met AJ "And speak of the devil…"

A flash on the panel in front signalled an incoming call.

"Thunderbird 2 from Thunderbird 1"

"Receiving you strength five, Thunderbird 1 – how's it going, Scott?"

"Good Virg – and thanks" Scott knew his brother had broken protocol for him.

"Hey no worries"

"So?" came a lighter voice from the background. Gordon.

"You mean did she buy it? Yeah, thank god. AJ was great about it. Oddly enough she wasn't sure if she'd be able to make tonight as well, since something came up at work and she might not have gotten away in time, so it worked out for the best. And since she couldn't, I didn't feel so bad about not making it either"

"Well that was lucky"

"You're telling me, bro'. Okay, enough about that – what's your ETA?"

"37 minutes, you?"

"I'll be landing in 16. Sallisaw's further over than Alan thought – it's 25 miles west of the Arkansas-Oklahoma border"

"I know, I heard."

"Alan contacted the FAA and let them know our flight paths over the mainland, and NOAA have promised to keep us updated on the weather systems"

"Yeah, last thing we need is another tornado hitting the area"

"Is that likely?" John frowned. The thought of their craft being in the path of a twister was not a pleasant one.

They could almost hear the shrug in Scott's tone "Your guess is as good as mine. At the moment they're saying no, but these things form so quick we can't rule it out"

"Okay, we'll keep an ear out for any changes"

"I'll see you kids on the ground. Contact me…"

"…when we're close, I know. Be seeing you Scott"

"Bye bro! See you in a bit!" Gordon called cheerily, apparently unfazed by the mention of possible tornado activity. John wished he could say the same.

"Thunderbird 1 out"

"Well?" Sakura prompted as AJ closed her phone with a smile and returned to the group with care – normal lighting still hadn't come back on.

"Man, am I relived. He got called away on urgent Tracy Enterprise business – downside to being the eldest son apparently – and so he can't make it anyway"

"Did you tell him you couldn't either?"

AJ laughed "Well, it did cross my mind not to say anything – but he was so apologetic I didn't want him feeling guilty! Honestly, he was so sweet about it and dead set on making it up to me!"

Sakura shook her head "Who is this guy, and why aren't there more of him? It's times like this I wish they'd gotten the official go ahead for human cloning"

"He has four brothers – and you're married!"

"True, but I can look, can't I?"

"That's a point, when do we get to meet this model guy of yours?" Eric put on a serious expression "As your _bestest_ friend I need to check him out, make sure he's for real"

AJ grinned "I think it's a bit early to be subjecting Scott to you guys just yet – and besides, he's real enough, the Powers-That-Be did a background check on him"

"Hey" Eric shrugged "They might have missed something. You never know"


	9. Danger Zone

Disclaimer: As ever, they ain't mine. Not that I wouldn't like them to be, but sadly that's just the way it goes! 

**Author's Note: Thanks to all those who reviewed – very much appreciated! Oh, and just as a random point – I know we all differ on the order the brothers go in, but for the record I've deliberately chosen the order Scott, Virgil, John, Gordon and Alan. Sorry for those who don't agree – but we can all chose our own ideas on this one, right?**

**And special thankyou's go to Fran and Emma – they're the reason this chapter got done! Because every time I've spoken to them this week, the same litany was uttered: "When's Chapter Nine gonna be up?" So here it is! Cheers guys!**

Chapter Nine – Danger Zone 

_Highway to the danger zone,_

_Take a ride into the danger zone…_

'Danger Zone' by Kenny Loggins 

The Malaysian jungle – a hot, humid part of the world with some of the most diverse fauna on the globe. Small colonies of red ants hurried across the damp floor while gibbons called from above. Jungle cats prowled, padding silently through trees where king cobras and other snakes had wound themselves around branches on the lookout for the next meal. Some of the most deadly creatures called this area home – but even the bravest of these avoided one area in particular. Buried deep within the foliage sat a large temple, the refuge of the most dangerous animal in these parts.

     The Hood sat on an intricately carved throne, the designs on it similar to those adorning the walls surrounding him. Despite the beauty of his habitat, the Hood himself was not a pleasant man. Evil leaves a mark on those who indulge in it – and this character had committed more than his fair share of atrocity over the years.

"Bah!" a calloused hand slapped the arm of the chair. "International Rescue – how I long to destroy Tracy – and the rest of his puny organisation. Too many times have I been thwarted in my efforts" He contemplated the last time he'd attempted to strike at the people behind the rescue team. "How that foolish boy survived the crash I so carefully engineered is a miracle – he should have been nothing more than broken parts on the streets of Paris! But I shall not be defeated again! Jeff Tracy and his precious family can only remain lucky for so long – and then, the glorious secrets of International Rescue will be mine!"

The Hood rose from his gilded seat, and turned slowly to a beaded curtain over the other side of the room. One swift movement of his hand, and the veil parted to reveal a gold statue, its carefully carved features making it look almost alive. The Hood's eyes flashed the same colour as the effigy before him.

"Kyrano! Kyrano, my half-brother! You will answer me!"

Many miles away, Kyrano felt the familiar pressure on his mind. He closed his eyes, determined to fight the intrusion on his thoughts, but at the same time knowing it was futile.

"Do not resist me, Kyrano! I, your half brother, demand you tell me where International Rescue are headed next"

"No…" Kyrano swayed, putting a hand out to the bathtub to steady himself and dropping the pile of freshly-laundered towels he'd been carrying, "I cannot…I must not!"

"Kyrano! You will tell me!"

Giving an anguished cry as his mind gave in under the excruciating pain Kyrano crumpled to the floor, hearing himself answer what he did not wish to.

"_They are on a rescue mission to a city named Sallisaw in Oklahoma. Thunderbird 1 and Thunderbird 2 left for America a short while ago"_

The Hood cut the connection, the jewelled veil falling back into place. He considered his options, and something resembling a smile passed across his face.

After signing off the call to Thunderbird 2, Scott spent the next 16 minutes devising strategies to tackle the rescues, and attempting to put AJ out of his mind. _Well, one outta two ain't bad_, he thought ruefully as Thunderbird 1 approached Sallisaw. He did a quick aerial view to get a feel for the city and to see which areas had been most affected.

"Christ" Scott whistled, surveying the scene. They'd dealt with most of Mother Nature's throw at them during the course of their rescues: hurricanes, earthquakes, flash floods, forest fires – but tornadoes were a whole different ball game. They had a mind of their own, could veer from one direction to the next, taking out one house but leaving the neighbours almost untouched. One minute they were there, the next they'd be gone – the fact that twisters were so unpredictable was the scariest part.

Having checked in with the space station Scott landed, choosing a spot in the centre of the devastation. The area was swarming with emergency services, most of who glanced briefly to see the large grey Thunderbird land, but didn't stop. He'd debated setting Thunderbird 1 down on the outskirts of the city to avoid any press and simply to keep it out of the way, but if the unthinkable happened and bad weather prevented him from getting back to it…he shuddered.

 "International Rescue, boy are we glad to see you! I'm George – George Kazanski"

Scott was met with a filthy but warm handshake from the short, stocky fireman.

"Glad to be of assistance, George" the words were second nature by now. "What can we do?"

"Good question. We've got people trapped in plenty of places, my men are doing their best, but…"

"I'm sure they are. More of our organisation are on their way, they should here in 15 minutes or so. In the meantime I'd like to set up some equipment – would that be possible?"

"Sure, I'll give you a hand myself"

"And I must have assurance that no photographs of any of our machinery or crew will be taken"

"We knew you'd request that – there are press around, but most have abandoned their cameras and pitched in to help. Yeah, I know" he added, seeing Scott's surprise. "And they say miracles don' happen"

Once Mobile Control was operational George went to collect detailed plans of the city and circle the damage hotspots, and Scott radioed Virgil.

"Thunderbird 2 from Mobile Control, what's your ETA?"

"ETA 9 minutes, Mobile Control. What's the situation so far?"

"I'm waiting on exact details, but from what I can tell we're gonna be busy"

At that moment Mobile Controls incoming call light lit up.

"Hold on, Alan's buzzing me. I'll open a three-way. Mobile Control receiving you Thunderbird 5, go ahead"

"Scott, NOAA just contacted me. Thunderbird 2 with us?"

"Getting you loud and clear" came Virgil's reply "NOAA? They got bad news?"

"'Fraid so, fellas. Looks like another thunder cell is headed your way"

"How severe?"

"Severe enough. They've put a warning back up for the whole area. The cell's big, fast-moving and unstable - perfect conditions for tornadic activity"

"Great" Virgil growled.

"Damn. How long have we got?"

"Maybe forty minutes if you're lucky. It could be a lot less. NOAA recommend we do as much as we can and leave if threatening weather approaches"

Gordon verbalized what they were all thinking with a snort and a "Yeah right!"

Scott felt the familiar stab of fear in his stomach – Gordon was right, International Rescue had never once left the scene of a rescue without finishing the job, and they weren't about to start now. He was acutely aware of the silence from both Thunderbird 2 and the space station – his brothers were waiting for his approval. Being the eldest, he'd been looked to for leadership since they were kids, whether the decision would lead them into trouble or not.

_Nothing changes, _Scott sighed. "We'll continue with the operation, and if the weather turns bad – well, we'll cross that bridge if and when we get to it. Alan, tell NOAA to keep tabs on the weather for us, and let them know what they're doing is a big help. Virgil, how long now 'til you guys get here?"

"Six minutes – three less than when you last asked" the chuckle was evident.

"Land as near to Thunderbird 1 as you can. I'll update Base on our plans, I – hold on"

George had thrust a map of Sallisaw, areas hastily circled and dotted with red marker, under Scott's nose.

"I've got more details on the rescue sites, I'll do some planning and work out where we need to be most. Be ready to get your hands dirty, guys"

"Sure thing Scott. Be seeing you!"

Alan said something along similar lines and both he and Virgil signed off. After a quick call to Base, Scott turned back to the patiently waiting fireman on his right.

"So George, what have we got?"

"Well, it's like this…"

Jeff Tracy sighed as he pushed the microphone away and closed the computer down. He'd been trying to make amends to some business reports, but as always his thoughts were elsewhere. It didn't matter that this was one of many rescues their organisation had carried out over the years, and it didn't matter that his 'team' were as competent and as prepared as possible, it was still his family that he was sending into danger every time, and no matter how old they got they would always be his kids, and he would always worry after them.

     He stared at the small collection of photographs on his desk – Jeff was not one to clutter his workspace, but the plain silver frames held some great memories. John waving from the treehouse he'd built for the boys at the old place, Gordon in the pool for the first time without water-wings. Alan leaning proudly against his first car. Scott and Virgil at Christmas – one speechless by a new electric guitar, the other thrilled from the gift certificate he'd received for flying lessons.

      Jeff's eyes travelled over the images, then looked up to the five portraits on the wall, done only a couple of years before. Where had the time gone? His reverie was interrupted by a cry of alarm, and someone calling his name.

     Tin-Tin turned as she heard footsteps pounding down the hall where her and Kyrano's suites were. "Mr Tracy!"

"Tin-Tin, what…oh no"

One of his closest friends was slumped against the bathtub, face pale and eyes flickering.

"I heard him cry out, Mr Tracy, and I found him like this" She sounded almost tearful. Jeff leaned closer to help sit Kyrano up as a faint moan escaped him. Tin-Tin had placed a towel under her father's head from the many that were scattered around him.

"M-Mr Tracy?"

"It's alright Kyrano – I think you had one of your turns again. Can you open your eyes?"

Kyrano did so, and Jeff checked for signs of concussion.

"I think he's just bruised and shaken, Tin-Tin"

"Oh thank goodness"

Kyrano struggled to sit up, and was immediately aided by his daughter.

"How do you feel, Kyrano?"

"A little dizzy, but I am fine. I am sorry, my dear, I did not mean to scare you"

"Do not apologise, Father – I was only worried that you'd hurt yourself"

"As Mr Tracy said, I am just a little shaken. Perhaps a lie-down will help"

"Of course, Kyrano. I'll help him to his room, Tin-Tin – would you get a glass of water for him?"

"Certainly, Mr Tracy" She hurried off, throwing a concerned glance at her father as she left. Jeff studied the Malaysian for a moment, assuring himself that he'd suffered no real harm.

"Okay Kyrano, lets get you out of here"

"Thankyou Mr Tracy – and I am truly sorry"

Jeff waved the apology away "As long as no real damage was done"

      "…and there's another family trapped in a bunker _here_…" Scott tapped another red dot on the map. Having had detailed discussions with George (interrupted only by the arrival of Thunderbird 2) he was now outlining the various situations to his brothers. Gordon chewed his lower lip.

"What say I take the Mole and start getting those people out?"

Virgil gave him a look "Oh no you don't pal. I get the Mole, Johnny gets the Firefly and you get the cutting equipment, remember?"

"You're no fun" Gordon mock-pouted. Scott could see the logic – Virgil was the most adept of all of them when it came to handling the Mole, and though Gordon could manage the Firefly fine he was better suited to manual labour than the more lithe and wiry middle Tracy brother – who broke in at this point.

"We've only got maybe another half hour before that weather could hit. Surely it'd be better to leave the people who are in the bunkers until last – they're trapped, but they're safe for now. Concentrate our efforts on those who are stuck or injured elsewhere"

"Good thinking John. Okay then – Virgil, leave the Mole for now. There's a whole bunch of houses here…" he showed them on the map "…where people are. The emergency crews are bogged down with getting to the critically injured and our cutting saws and laser torches are a lot more efficient. Take Gordon and join them there. Johnny, you got the Firefly. There's a warehouse on the other side of town at the end of the tornado path where a bunch of teenagers took refuge. The building's a mess – but the Firefly should be able to clear a load of it away so the EMT's can get in"

"FAB"

"And keep in touch. I want regular updates off everybody, if twenty minutes goes by without you calling in I'll be on your tail and kicking your ass before you know what's hit you"

The three exchanged grins.

"And watch the weather" John added. He loved wild weather, and knew the warning signs well. "Any green skies or low wall-like clouds with rotation at the base and finger-like projections coming off them is bad news. And if you get pelted by golf-ball hail – run for the nearest safe place. The locals will know what to look out for too"

"Okay then"

Having marked positions the three headed off for Thunderbird 2 – John to start up the Firefly, and Gordon and Virgil to load up all the equipment they could onto the hover bikes.

Scott settled behind Mobile Control again, casting a glance upwards. Nothing yet. _Let's hope it stays that way._

Forty minutes later, and still no bad weather (although dark clouds had built overhead and were a little low for his liking,) Scott was fielding the latest round of updates from his family. John had finished at the warehouse and was now clearing debris from outside one of the city's elementary schools so the frightened children could leave their bunker. Virgil and Gordon had now gone their separate ways – Gordon was still cutting through obstacles preventing the EMT's getting to casualties, whereas Virgil had been called to a gas mains nearby. There was a suspected leak, but the fire crews couldn't get to it due to part of a roof being in the way. International Rescues tools made the operation easier and faster.

      Gordon stopped the laser cutter for a moment, lifted his mask and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Phew" he muttered "Man, what I wouldn't give for a soda right about now"

The paramedic perched behind him on a pile of broken wood and bricks grinned and shifted carefully.

"You're tellin' me, buddy. How much longer?"

Gordon squinted at the wall of debris in front of them.

"Not much more, I think"

"Here's hopin'. M'am?" the paramedic called through what was left of the house.

"I'm still here"

"How's your husband?"

"He's alright, I guess" came the drawled reply. "The bleedin's stopped for now"

"How responsive is he?"

There was a pause, then a muffled exclamation. The lady in question had obviously poked something delicate.

"Guess that answers that one"

Gordon chuckled as he yanked his mask back into place and fired up the laser once more.

        John hauled himself out of the Firefly, a cheerful expression on his fair features as the first group of dirty but unhurt children emerged from the school. The expression faded as he stretched his cramped muscles and saw the sky. The clouds that had been slowly building earlier were now a low solid wall. Cursing silently he raised one wrist and activated the com-link.

"Mobile Control from Firefly"

"Receiving you John, go ahead"

"Scott, you seen the weather?"

"I was afraid you were gonna mention that. That our wall cloud we were looking out for?"

"That's the –" he was cut off by a rumble of thunder.

"What's your status?"

"I'm finished up here for now. What about the others?"

"Virgil's close to his gas leak, but Gordon's still in the process of getting the medics to a couple trapped in their house"

"Any suggestions?"

Scott sucked in a breath. As field commander he was obligated to ensure the public's safety. As an older brother his instincts were screaming at him to shove his siblings onto the Thunderbirds and get them the hell out of here.

"Unless there's anything more you can do with it, take the Firefly back to Thunderbird 2. Then its just a case of warning people, I guess"

"I don't think that's gonna be a problem, Scott" John was eyeing the scared faces that were turned skywards. "They know the signs better than anyone. I'll load the Firefly, and see what else I can do"

"FAB, keep in touch. Scott out"

      "At the risk of sounding five years old, are we there yet?"

"We…sure…are!" Gordon aimed a last kick on the final word and broke through to the other side. He and Dave the medic coughed a bit, their eyes searching through the dust for their target.

"There!"

Dave clambered over unidentifiable objects and reached his patient – a 44-year old man who'd been struck on the head and suffered a broken ankle. His wife was kneeling beside him, determined to keep him conscious until help arrived. As Dave set about taking vitals and checking the casualties pupils with a tiny flashlight Gordon caught sight of the red semi-circles dotted up and down the man's arm. The question died on his lips as he saw the wife's fingernails, and he bit back a laugh.

"He's gonna be just fine" Dave assured with a smile. Gordon turned slightly as his watch began to beep shrilly.

"Gordon from Mobile Control"

"Hey Scott, what's up?"

He could hear his brother's sigh at the lapse in protocol, but Scott carried on anyway.

"We got weather trouble. Those clouds that were building? Definite storm brewing – can you hear it?"

Gordon shook his head "Uh-uh. I'm under half a house here dude – I can't hear nothin'"

"It's picked up – lightening, thunder, the whole deal. And I could be wrong, but at the base of the cloud it looks like it's turning"

"Rotation?" Gordon felt a chill run up his spine.

"Yeah."

"Dave" he caught the doctor's attention "How long 'til we can get moving?"

"This guy ain't going anywhere for a bit, why?" Dave obviously read something in Gordon's face. "Oh"

"Yeah, oh. Scott?"

"I'm still here" his brother answered dryly.

"I can't leave for the moment. The house is unstable, something could fall and I'm the best chance of clearing anything outta the way. What's the game plan your end?"

"Virgil's just finishing up, John's loading the Firefly into the pod"

"You planning on moving the 'birds?"

"I don't want to, but…if we need to…"

"Okay. If you need to, get them airborne and out. Don't hang around for me"

"Gordon…"

"There's shelters set up here, if need be I'll be in one. You don't even know if the weather'll get that serious. Lighten' up bro'!"

Scott shook his head "Fine. But I'm warning you, you even get a slight bump or bruise and…"

"Chill, dude!"

"Keep us posted, Gordon"

"FAB. Gordon out"


End file.
